The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Christian University are launching a new MBA scholarship program for tribal members. According to Dr. Ken Johnson, chair of the Graduate School of Business at OC, the scholarship program will encourage and assist tribal members in seeking an advanced degree, which can be extremely beneficial in not only finding employment, but enhancing careers.

“The Choctaw Nation’s Scholarship Advisement Program is honored to add Oklahoma Christian University as a partner in our growing list of outstanding universities. This partnership provides great opportunities for Choctaw Students seeking a graduate business degree,” adds Jo McDaniel, Director of the Choctaw Nation Scholarship Advisement Program.

Johnson anticipates that most if not all of the Choctaw students will complete the MBA program online. “Being able to complete our fast-track MBA program online is certainly an attractive feature for students who are pressured for time with job and family commitments,” he said. “Our curriculum’s emphasis on ethics, practical knowledge and real-world application, is very attractive to employers who highly value those attributes. Communication, economics, finance, global perspectives, leadership, management, marketing, organizational issues, and technology are taught by faculty members who bring a wealth of business experience and academic preparation to the classroom.”

All students entering the program are issued laptop computers. OC provides technical support, training, and general computing assistance to students (undergrad and graduate) on campus or while remote. Each laptop contains an ethernet card which, when used on campus, provides the student with wireless communication, access to the Internet, and connection to campus printers and database resources

There are three main factors considered for admission to the MBA program, including undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA), Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) score or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score, and professional experience. The MBA program grants admission for the fall, spring, and summer semesters.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a federally recognized tribe whose service territory covers 11,000 square miles in 10∏ counties in rural southeast Oklahoma. The Nation, headquartered in Durant, is comprised of more than 200,000 members worldwide and is the third-largest Indian tribe in the United States. The Nation spends an average of $6 million a year in scholarships to assist 5,000 students seeking higher education. The Nation also operates a wide variety of businesses, including retail, manufacturing, ranching and gaming. The Nation employs more than 8,000 people – tribal and non-tribal members alike – and pumps tens of millions of dollars into Oklahoma’s economy.

In late 2006, The Choctaw Nation implemented the Scholarship Advisement Program to provide additional support to college bound tribal members. The Choctaw Nation Scholarship Advisement Program (CNO-SAP) serves more than 6,500 members and focuses on college preparation and retention for Choctaw students ranging from high school students to graduate students. College selection and summer program/internship advice, access to a customized online scholarship database specifically for Choctaw students, Peer Advisors at select Oklahoma campuses, and free college admission test preparation through Princeton Review are just some of the incredible services and opportunities provided by CNO-SAP to its members. CNO-SAP and OC will be co-hosting an information session in Durant, OK at the Choctaw Community Center on October 25th at 6:00 p.m. The information session is targeted at Choctaw tribal members and Choctaw Nation employees who are interested in pursuing the MBA. More information on the Choctaw Scholarship Advisement can be found at www.choctawnation-sap.com.